Baton Rouge, USA - A Senate committee shot down a bill that would have allowed concealed weapons to be carried inside churches.
The bill, which had passed the House in a 74-18 vote, found no support in a Senate judiciary committee. The Senate Judiciary B Committee voted 3-0 against the proposal.
State Rep. Henry Burns, a Republican from Haughton, told the committee that churches are not the safe places they used to be and should be able to take steps to protect their parishioners. He said while he was against a measure last year to bring guns on college campuses, he hopes to allow concealed weapons in churches because religious buildings tend to be much smaller and easier to secure than universities.
Opponents have argued it was inappropriate to have concealed handguns in church, but there was little debate about the measure in the Senate committee Tuesday before it was killed.
After the vote, Burns said his bill faced better odds on the Senate floor. He indicated he may seek to attach the measure onto another bill in the full Senate.